Renewable Energy Group CEO Resigns; CAFO Reporting Remains

**The Ames, Iowa-based company, Renewable Energy Group has announced that Daniel J. Oh has resigned as president and chief executive. Oh also stepped down from REG’s board, which appointed long-time director Randy Howard as interim president and CEO.

REG gave no reason for Oh’s departure, but did say that Oh has agreed to assist in transitional matters over the next several months.

**The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has declined to reconsider its decision finding that Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations should report their air emissions. But that’s likely not the end of the matter.

National Pork Producers Council spokesman Dave Warner told Agri-Pulse they expect the Environmental Protection Agency will ask the court to stay its April 11 decision so EPA can figure out what it will do next.

Warner says regardless of what happens in court, NPPC will explore a regulatory solution.

If allowed to stand, the decision would significantly expand the universe of CAFOs required to report emissions.

**In a win for corn ethanol producers, EPA is proposing to require refiners to use another 15 billion gallons of conventional ethanol next year while maintaining the 2018 biodiesel target set by the Obama administration.

Ethanol producers had lobbied the new administration not to lower the corn ethanol mandate, which the Obama administration had raised to 15 billion gallons for the first time for 2017. The biodiesel industry was looking for an increase in the 2018 mandate for their product but was unsuccessful in persuading the agency to do so.